Return
by Represent
Summary: Post TLG: Artemis's clone body is decaying, his soul has already accepted - and longs - for death, and the tether keeping the two together is fading.
1. Metis

Return

_by Represent_

**A/N:** Ouch those TLG feels. I just finished reading this book and had to write this- No clue how long this will go for but I loved this idea. First time writing in the Fowldom so excuse any mistakes and/or OOC.

* * *

Artemis Fowl winced for a brief moment, his eyes narrowing as he watched his own blood fill the hypodermic needle embedded in his forearm. Measuring out the proper amount he withdrew the vial and tapped it for good measure, unscrewing the needle and placing the tube into the agitator in front of him. With his teeth he yanked the tourniquet around his arm and squeezed his hand back and forth to regain some feeling as he spun in the chair and glanced up at the clock.

He had already predicted the outcome of this test - just as he had the last month's test, and the month before that. But still, it was important to keep record. Even he missed some things.

He went through the motions, pulling out the sheet read out from the printer and scanning the numbers quickly. It didn't take a genius to extrapolate what these numbers meant, it only took one with a very brief medical background.

Artemis nodded to himself before drawing a lighter from his pocket and, still sitting in his chair, rolled over to the trash bin next to the agitator. With a sharp flick he lit the corner of the paper - the numbers had already been logged in his brain - and with almost fascination he watched the paper begin to illuminate and then wrinkle, crumpling in on itself.

Fire was fascinating to watch, he mused, slowly moving the paper from hand to hand to avoid getting burned, always toying the line of nearly getting singed. He waited until it was all but centimeters from his fingers before letting the rest drop into the waste basket, becoming ash.

Artemis knew he should feel something at this moment. Normal people would be mildly concerned. No- Artemis corrected himself, normal people would be extremely upset. Of course, he wasn't exactly normal, but he knew that even he should be a little less aloof when faced with the fact that he was dying.

Dying was an altogether pleasant term for what was happening to him. Decaying was the more accurate one. Actually, Artemis could think of about five different medical terms that were even more accurate, but in the end they all boiled down to the same result. His body was deconstructing.

He sat for a long moment in the chair, rubbing the blood back into his forearm so that Butler wouldn't notice the faint discoloration where a tourniquet had been applied. In the wake of Artemis's return Butler had become increasingly more observant than normal. Artemis knew it was because of his own withdrawal. His re-emergence into the land of the living had been traumatic, and Artemis was more than convinced that he had made a terrible mistake. It was the main reason that his body decaying didn't necessarily terrify him into action. For the past five months Artemis had closed himself off - more than usual - mainly for the fact that this whole world still seemed surreal to him. While he couldn't recall his time spent as purely a soul, or even the events leading up to his first death, he felt infinitely old. As if what had taken sixth months had felt like six hundred years.

Artemis knew he could possibly have depression, along with a multitude of other disorders that would explain his sudden lack of interest - but put simply he had died and although he was living again his soul was no longer attached to this world. And even if it was, this clone body and his soul were incompatible. Not only was his physical body deteriorating, but he could feel himself drift from time to time. Each time he fell asleep he was uncertain if he would wake back up. His soul was like a lifeboat tied by a long and weak rope to the ship. Sometimes they felt connected, other times they drifted. Artemis wasn't sure when the tether would fail and he would drift again, permanently this time. The one thing he remembered vividly from that night had been the look of pure bliss on the ghost's face as they left this world. It was something he had experienced - if for only a second - before he had focused his mind and by sheer willpower alone had rooted himself to the earth.

Regardless - if he was right, and he usually was, he had another year left.

He plucked the vial of blood out of the machinery and disposed of it permanently. As he did he looked over his fingers, the clone's hands not feeling quite like his own. As if he was wearing gloves. He felt as if in a perpetual fog where every movement was muted. Unless it was pain. The fresh nervous system was still wildly out of whack. When Artemis had first woken his senses had been haywire. The smell of his own mother's perfume had been enough to gag him.

There was a knock on the door and Artemis lowered his hands away from his face.

"Artemis?" Butler's voice asked softly.

"Come in."

The door popped open and the man shuffled through bearing sandwiches.

"Hungry?"

Not really, Artemis thought, but instead he said, "Thank you, let's eat away from the lab. Who knows what we may contract down here. Myles has been tinkering again."

In the parlor Artemis ate his sandwich quietly. If there was one thing he was always appreciative of it was Butler's ability to not ask questions. The silence was comforting, especially in comparison to his twin brothers who were so full of life they made him nauseous to be around for any length of time.

His sandwich was bread and butter. He hadn't yet the stomach for anything with substantial taste yet, his taste buds felt as if they were six years old again.

"You have a doctor visit tomorrow at ten." Butler reminded softly, if anything to attempt at starting a conversation.

"Yes, I know." Artemis stated flatly, placing down a half-eaten sandwich. For a long moment there was silence again. Artemis could feel himself getting scrutinized. "How much longer is my mother planning on doing these doctor visitations?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You're whole Jesus maneuver nearly sent her back into her panic attacks." Butler stated flatly. Artemis could detected the annoyance in his voice, reminding him that, in the eyes of his family, he had been selfish. Selfish to go and off himself on purpose without properly saying goodbye. "She'll continue to do the doctors visits for as long as she sees fit." Artemis could practically feel the _I recommend you indulge her _part tacked on to the end of Butler's sentence.

Artemis could still feel how Angeline Fowl's scream had reverberated in his bones and bursted in his newly awakened eardrums. For a second he had been absolutely sure he was deafened. Despite all Angeline had accepted about fairies, the fact that her son had been lying - breathing - in his bedroom when she had returned from her trip to Paris. The image of the funeral - his dead white face in the casket - had been burned into her eyes. She had almost accepted his death and now to see him alive again... it had nearly undone her.

After she had accepted he had come back she had promptly demanded him to go through bi-monthly screenings with their private physician to make sure he was well. It was something that Artemis at first relented to, but after the first month he began to dread. Of course, the physician couldn't actually screen him. Even a moron like him would pick up on Artemis's deteriorating blood cell count as clearly as if it was a brick falling on his head.

No- the real source of Artemis's frustrations at these bi-monthly check ups was that he was having to harvest fresh decoy blood and urine in order to come back with a clean bill of health. Artemis knew that after all he had been through he should feel remorse for hiding this from his friends and family, but he knew that if they were privy to all the facts they would be relentless in their search for a cure. And while Artemis wasn't sure if there was a cure in the first place - he was sure that even if there was, and he was brilliant enough to find it, he wouldn't want it.

And that was a secret worth keeping.

Butler frowned as he watched Artemis's eyes go cloudy. He was prone to doing this. Artemis was famous for going into his mind - but usually it was when he was planning diabolical plans. The tell tale sign of scheming was the furrowed brow, which, Butler noted with sadness, wasn't present in him right now. He grabbed the half-eaten sandwich from in front of the boy and for a moment was prepared to leave him to his own thoughts. However, he slowly ate his own lunch and merely awaited for Artemis to return.

Zoning out was nothing new, but this kind of zoning out was. It was like Artemis's mind was drifting. He had only seen it a few times before - all of them being when Artemis had been sedated. In many ways that was the best way to describe Artemis recently. At first Butler had been terrified that Artemis had miscalculated - that the clone would wake up to be someone different. Would his memories still be intact? Would he still be a child genius? Although, Artemis was around seventeen now - hardly a child anymore.

Butler remembered the awe and jubilation after the clone's eyes had snapped open - how he had been humbled by Artemis's own brilliance.

_/ Months Before /_

"...Tell me. How do I know you?" The clone - no Artemis - asked Holly weakly. The fairy in question had glimmering tears rolling down her face, her hand still in an iron grip around the boy's as Foaly moved carefully down the ravine.

Unbelievable, Butler thought to himself. Trust only Artemis Fowl to, in only a few hours, think up a way to cheat death itself. Butler had known it was a long shot - a testament to just how desperate Artemis must have been moments before putting this plan into action. That there had been no other choice but this slim possibility. Butler was certain that even Artemis himself must have thought it wouldn't have worked. Butler's hand was steady on his charge's back, even though inside he was shaken.

He could feel flesh and blood underneath his palm. Artemis was cold - only minutes before the clone had been barely alive, and yet as they walked up the hill together his cheeks gained a little color in them and his lungs drew longer and stronger breathes.

Holly began recounting their stories to him and as he watched the sharp blue eyes seemed to recognize bits and pieces. It was halfway through the end of the kidnapping escapade that his face began to tense and his arms drew tightly in to his body.

"What is it?" Holly paused in her rendition.

"His muscles." Butler stated, feeling them quivering against his palm.

Artemis's teeth began to chatter and then clench.

"His muscles aren't used to being used - or at least the clone's muscles." Foaly stated, "We should get him back before it gets worse."

They quickened their pace, making it to Fowl Manor - and more specifically Artemis' bedroom - which had been vacant for months. Butler tossed the bedding a few times, watching the dust spiral off before picking Artemis up like a doll off of Foaly's back and into the bed.

He weighs nothing, he thought to himself. And while Artemis always weighed nothing, this clone was as if Artemis was still a ghost.

Artemis's jaw was wired shut, his jaw muscles bulging. The muscles underneath his limbs were spasming violently - painfully. With a weak cough Artemis ground his head down into the pillow before he let go of a terrified and agonized shriek that made Butler's heart pound violently in his chest.

"What do we do?" Holly asked, her face pale, "What's going on Foaly?" She turned to him, the question biting and angry. Of course, Holly was just as frightened as the rest of them, anger her outlet.

"Well, considering Fowl is the first human to rise from the dead via clone..." Foaly bited sarcastically. He didn't need to finish the sentence, they both knew he didn't know what was going on.

Butler grabbed onto Artemis's pale arm and gently massaged the muscles underneath, actually afraid of breaking a bone. He felt the atrophied muscles quivering underneath his fingers, making his stomach turn a little. Although the massage helped somewhat Butler knew that it wouldn't be good enough as Artemis let out another more weakened sob.

"Sedative." He stated, turning to Foaly.

Within minutes the syringe was plunged into Artemis's neck and he relaxed deep into the bedding. His pale eyelids fluttered and he let out a beaten moan. His eyes drifted for a moment before he forced them open again. The pale blue gaze found Butler's own and locked him there. Despite the sedative Artemis's eyes were sharp and focused and, for a brief second, unguarded.

Butler saw sheer terror, anger, loss, and apprehension flicker in the span of a second before Artemis's focus wavered and his eyes drooped under the sedative's iron fist.

"Sleep, Artemis." Holly tried to soothe, her voice anxious as she leaned over the left side of the bed to look into his eyes. She was prepared to _mesmer_ him, but it wasn't necessary. Artemis's new body was exhausted. He went limp, but Butler could see the soft rise and fall of his chest and the quiver of his muscles - still barely spasming despite the sedative. He was alive.

_/Present Day/_

Butler snapped out of his memory and found Artemis watching him with a half-smile on his face.

"Daydreaming, old friend?"

I could ask you the same, thought Butler.

"You know, Artemis." Butler started, looking up from his plate, "You can talk to me about anything."

"Of course." Artemis stated, raising an elegant eyebrow at his friend and his lip quirking slightly. Not everything, not yet, Artemis thought. He knew there would be a time to tell his Butler - and out of everyone in his family Butler was perhaps the person he would come to first, but he had to wait until the diagnosis was advanced enough along to be permanent. It wasn't that he was suicidal, he was simply allowing his spirit the closure he had taken away from himself. And for what?

After returning to a world that was in shambles, a world without Opal Koboi plotting world domination, Artemis felt as if it was time for his leave. What he hadn't told Butler, but he was sure that he saw in passing moments, was the sheer willpower it took to hide how _wrong_ he felt inside this body day in and day out. There was an overwhelming sense of discomfort and displacement. He felt as if he _shouldn't_ be alive.

Butler and Holly had both asked him if he remembered anything from his time spent as a spirit. The truth was he didn't remember anything concrete, but he remembered how he had felt. Those memories manifested themselves as dreams. Artemis would call them nightmares - but after waking up from a dream where he was dead and at peace and then thrown back into the living again... waking up felt like more of the nightmare.

"I'm tired." Artemis admitted.

"I know. You're still not sleeping." Butler knew of his dreams. Or - at least - knew of the moment when Artemis would jolt awake as if electrified and shoot up in his bed with a loud cry. It was then that he glimpsed the fear in his young charge's eyes, but what confused him the most was that instead of Artemis relaxing upon realizing he was awake and safe, the fear only seemed to grow until Artemis's icy calm demeanor took control and he regained composure.

"The pills have been working somewhat." Artemis lied.

"You're not eating either."

"Everything tastes loud."

Butler gave a gigantic weary sigh.

"I know, I'm being absolutely insufferable." Artemis stated, "I have no clue how you put up with me."

"Neither do I."

"Somedays I feel like a zombie." Artemis quipped. The boy gave a small laugh at his own joke.

"Did you just say the word _zombies_?" Butler stated.

"Surely that's not as strange as fairies or trolls." Artemis grinned.

"I guess that's true."

"Although technically being a zombie would require my old body." Artemis wiggled his toes in his shoes. He had never stopped teasing Foaly about his sixth toe mistake. Although at least now he had both of his eyes and his fingers in their rightful places. He supposed a sixth toe wasn't too shabby.

Butler gwuaffed and the sound of his deep laughter made Artemis grin in spite of himself. For almost a second he felt the weight lift in his chest, but it was no use. Even interactions like these felt forced to him. The smile faded off of his face. He felt exhausted.

.

Juliet usually kept the twins under her watchful eye during the day, but at night Myles and Beckett would seek out Artemis's company. Artemis made them both warmed milk and then spent the last few hours of their day in the study.

Currently Artemis and Myles were staring each other down across a game of chess. Beckett was coloring in the corner and would once in a while become attracted to the game - usually only the last few moves of the match - before his attention would drift back to his crayons.

Myles was only five, but he possessed a remarkable amount of intelligence. He reminded Artemis of himself in many ways. Myles bit his lip for a long moment - a nervous habit - before making his move, sliding his queen along the black squares.

"Are you sure?" Artemis asked, vampiric smile widening.

Myles paused, his finger still on the top of the queens head. Quickly, frantically he searched around the board. Artemis could practically hear the gears whizzing inside of his mind as he calculated the risks of what he had done. The boy's eyes narrowed into slits. Of course, Artemis was bluffing, but he liked to challenge his brother in small ways, just to see how much self-confidence Myles had in his own intellect. Always have confidence in yourself. It was something Artemis had had to learn at a very young age - something that had determined the success of most of his schemes. It was also something that quickly labelled him as arrogant.

Artemis would rather be arrogant and right, than modest and wrong. That characteristic had made him a lot of enemies.

"I'm sure." Myles stated, sitting back in his chair smugly.

Definitely a mini-me Artemis thought. He knew he could beat his brother in less than three moves, but he practiced restraint. There was no victory in winning a chess match against your five-year-old brother. That wasn't what these chess games were about. They were training.

Artemis moved his rook a few spaces.

"Are you sure?" Myles mimicked back at him.

"Always."

Myles' eyes were hungry as they scoured across the board. Artemis waited for his kid brother to realize that he had beaten him. The older had purposefully set Myles up to win, he just had to figure it out and take it. Artemis's blue eyes waited, patiently, watching his younger brother squirm in his chair. The child had so much energy it was difficult for him to focus at any length of time needed to solve more complex puzzles, but even in the past five months Myles had gotten more calm and calculating.

There. There it was. Artemis smiled as he watched Myles figure it out. Myles had a terrible poker face.

With a coy smile Myles moved his first piece into position.

Artemis moved his.

Myles moved his next piece. Game set.

Becket looked up from his coloring, sipping on the last of his milk as he sensed something was up.

"Check."

The older Fowl played chess with Myles most nights, and most nights he prolonged the game out and provided different ways for Myles to win - should he figure them out. This was the first time the younger had caught on.

Artemis moved his king into position.

Myles delivered the kill shot. Match.

"Checkmate." Myles breathed. The amount of vivacity and fire in his eyes almost made Artemis queasy. He stretched his pale pointer finger out and knocked over his king.

"I won." Myles stated, "I beat you. Beckett - I beat Artemis!"

"You played a good game." Artemis stated, it was perhaps the most praise he gave to his brothers. It made Myles positively glow with pride.

"Let's play again." Myles stated.

"Tomorrow night. It's time for bed."

"I'm not sleepy."

"I am." Artemis stated softly, standing up from the chair and wincing as his back popped. Lord, he was only seventeen, and yet he felt ancient, "Let's go." He murmured, hoisting Beckett up by the armpits and fitting him into his hipbone.

He ruffled Myles's hair softly as he moved to leave the study. It only took a few seconds for the other twin to catch up and grab onto his shirt from behind as he lead them to their room.

Ever since Artemis had returned he had taken care of the boys before they went to sleep. Juliet thought it was positively adorable.

He brushed their teeth and washed their face before yanking the boys out of their clothes and into their pajamas. By the time their nightly routine had ended both twins were already half asleep. As soon as Artemis pulled the covers over their faces they were passed out, snoring gently. Artemis wondered sometimes what they dreamt of. He placed his hand in front of each of their mouths, counting their breathes to make sure they were asleep.

He paused for a moment, walking over to Beckett and lifting down the cover a few inches to expose the five-year-old's arm. Of course Artemis enjoyed spending time with his brothers, however, his insistence on putting the boys to bed wasn't out of the goodness of his heart. Artemis paused on that phrase, churning it in his head. Was goodness even a word? Nevermind.

He pulled a syringe out of his pocket and gently drew blood from his young brother. The needle was so fine it never left a mark but Artemis always felt a wave of guilt after as he rubbed the spot gently with his finger. Both Myles and Beckett were in a deep sleep. Artemis had split one of his sleeping pills in half and had dissolved them into each of their hot milks. There was no way they would wake up, even with a needle in the shoulder.

He tapped the syringe gently five times - habit - before placing the cap on it and putting in his back pocket. The blood would be fresh enough for tomorrow morning's doctor visit. Despite all the similarities between himself and Myles, Beckett was a better match for Artemis's own DNA. Beckett also would be less likely to figure out what Artemis stole from him each month. Thankfully the doctor his mother hired was an idiot - and also was only looking at certain indicators. Artemis knew that if he had a competent doctor they would have seen through this trick pretty quickly, but he had gambled and it had paid off.

"Apologies, Beckett." Artemis stated softly. It seemed he was still stealing things that didn't belong to him, he had never learned.

With that he left the two to their dreaming, shutting the door softly as he left and moving quickly to the lab to put away the blood for tomorrow.


	2. Luna

Return

_Represent_

* * *

Artemis found sleep at approximately four in the morning. And, as his usual routine, bolted upright at six-thirty with a cry.

_Drifting, safety. He had felt as if an apex to something wonderful was about to happen. He was moving, quickly, gliding. He was light, he was nothing, he was everywhere and nowhere at the same time. There was a warmth that spread throughout his entire body and his essence was practically vibrating with excitement of what was about to happen next. He didn't know what was happening but whatever it was was good. It would be a relief, a deliverance. There was going to be release - and bliss. And just when he was certain he had reached it he was yanked back forcefully, slammed into the ground. A sense of foreboding and loss- of extreme anxiety- filled him and he screamed but there was no mouth to make any sound. The void sucked him down until it felt like gravity was pulling him with the force of several tons. He was falling, far away- He had been about to achieve something great. And then, like a sheer force wind, the most ominous feeling rattled his core._

_Absolute wrong-ness. There was no word in English or Gnommish for the severity of emotion that swept through him. He wanted to get away, anywhere, escape it, but it consumed him, choking and pouring like molten lead down his being. He could feel his body again, but it wasn't _his_. He screamed again, struggling - He didn't want this! - _before wide dark blue eyes snapped open and he heaved against the pillows in his bed.

Only the sight of his bedroom ceiling only further filled him with despair. A invisible hand compressed his chest until he couldn't breath. _I shouldn't be here. I should be dead. I was dead. This is not my body._

It took a long moment to calm himself down enough to reach a shaky hand up to his cheek and wipe off the wetness there. At least Butler hadn't been awakened this time, Artemis thought to himself. Or he had - and he was just letting Artemis ride this one out alone.

He gave a soft breath, spinning out of his bed and raking a hand through his tousled hair for a long moment, glancing at the clock. He had a few hours to kill before the rest of the Fowl estate woke up. He tapped his fingers together idly before sighing and grabbing his laptop from the desk. Might as well do something constructive.

After the world's technological collapse Artemis Fowl II and Artemis Fowl I had realized the opportunity to start a legitimate business. And so, with Artemis senior's business experience and the dozens of advanced technology patents from Artemis II they had began Fowl Industries.

Artemis flicked his eyes along the plan for a small five inch by five inch square power source that could power an entire city block for over fifty years - and then be recharged when needed. Screw Foaly, he thought, he liked cubes. It would be enough to get the world's energy flowing again, in a more sustainable and eco friendly way.

Before he knew it his alarm bleeped softly. He automatically turned it off and moved swiftly out the door. Time to grab the necessities for this doctor visit, he thought. The decoy samples had to be at around body temperature to be believable, and so they had to be warmed thirty minutes before the visit.

He returned to his room, sat down at his laptop, and almost immediately looked up as Butler knocked on the door.

"Breakfast, and then your doctor appointment."

"Ah, yes." Artemis blinked, pretending to glance at the clock. "How time flies. Thank you, Butler."

Artemis ate as much as he had to to satisfy his manservant before letting himself get led to the study.

"Good morning, Arty." His mother smiled, getting up smoothly from her armchair and giving him a small embrace. His mother had been overly affectionate ever since his return. He swallowed a lump in his throat as she hugged him tightly, kissing the top of his head, guilt gnawing through him. He was a terrible son.

"Artemis. How are we feeling?"

Dr. Reinsler was a pudgy man. He was one of those doctors that looked extremely unhealthy. One glance at his fingernails had told Artemis he smoked. For some reason a doctor that smoked irritated him. Doctors should know better. He was wearing casual clothes, as this was a routine house check-up. There was a stethoscope around his neck and he was breathing a bit heavily - probably from climbing the stairs to get to the front door of the estate. Despite his somewhat sweaty appearance Dr. Reinsler was a nice enough man. He genuinely cared about his job - and about his patients. It was probably the reason why his mother had chosen him over all the other candidates.

Artemis had never objected to him. He was easy to manipulate.

"I don't know how _you_ are feeling, Dr. Reinsler, but _I_ am feeling remarkably normal."

If there was one thing that annoyed Artemis - besides Reinsler's smoking habits - was his tendency to speak in 'we' instead of 'you'. Artemis knew that psychologically it was meant to make the patient feel more at ease with their caretaker, but the grammatical error made his jaw clench.

"Of course, of course, Artemis." Reinsler waved a pudgy hand as if waving at a fly. If there was one thing Artemis admired about his doctor it was his ability to not get intimidated by him.

"Let's get this over with." Artemis sighed theatrically, sitting down on in the chair next to the doctor.

Artemis obediently did as he was told as Reinsler tapped his knees, checked the pallor of his skin, pressed into his kidney's and different organs. He humored him as he peered into his eyes with a scope and pressed his fingers along his neck. He could see Butler tense briefly out of the corner of his eye as Reinsler pressed along the lymph nodes right along his artery.

"Right, breathe."

Artemis winced as the doctor slide the cold scope underneath his shirt and against his back.

Never the less he took a deep breathe. And, for the first time, he felt something rattle in his chest. He held the breathe for a few seconds before-

"Out." Reinsler ordered, his tone even - maybe he hadn't noticed? How could he have not noticed?

Artemis breathed out and felt something in his lung catch and he gave a soft cough. Well, so much for not noticing, he thought.

The doctor leaned away from him for a second.

"Have you been coughing recently?"

"No."

"There's seems to be liquid in your lung. We should test for pneumonia. Although-" He pressed his hand against Artemis's forehead, "No fever..."

"Perhaps its just the beginnings of a cold." Artemis suggested, "I feel fine."

So it begins, he thought to himself. So far his symptoms had only been decreased appetite and exhaustion. He knew that eventually the first thing to start deteriorating would be his lungs. To be honest, he had expected the progression of this _disease_ to be faster. He mentally calculated in his head for a brief moment. He could probably put off telling anyone the truth for at least another couple months before it was apparent that he did _not_ have pneumonia.

"-oney?"

Angeline's voice snapped Artemis out of his mental calculations.

"Sorry, what mother?"

"I was just saying that it makes sense - with how tired you've been lately." Angeline smiled at him. She reached across and stroked his hair back in a very motherly way that made Artemis feel ashamed for lying to her. He had lied to her all his life, it was only recently that it was getting difficult to bear. Then again, he had always lied for her own good. Artemis wasn't sure if - right now - he was lying for her good or for his. He didn't feel ready to tell everyone just yet. The mere idea of it exhausted him.

"Breathe in." Reinsler ordered, the cold stethoscope back under his shirt, this time on the other lung.

Artemis did the rest of the routine, without another cough, but it didn't matter. He was already getting his spit swabbed. The swab would come back negative for pneumonia of course.

And so the rest of the testing went by without incident. Artemis easily duped the urine sample in the bathroom. All that was left was the blood test. At this point Angeline would busy herself with making lunch to avoid looking at the needle. Butler would inevitably move to help since Angeline was not much of a cook. Then, without fail, Angeline would offer lunch to the doctor. Who - of course - would always say yes.

Never underestimate the hospitality of a Fowl, Artemis thought to himself as he let the doctor take out the needle from his arm and pressed the cotton ball onto his arm. The sound of china tinkling from the kitchen down the main foyer drifted into the room as the doctor finished up. Artemis watched the vial of his own blood for a moment.

"Here."

Artemis took the offered bandage, placing it over the tiny prick over his vein before getting slowly up out of the chair.

"How have the sleeping pills been working?" Reinsler asked, as he fumbled around with the bag. Artemis worked the blood back into his arm, removing the tourniquet. He wound it around in his hand for a moment.

"They are helping." He lied.

"You still having nightmares, are you?"

"Yes." Artemis's mother hadn't told Reinsler the whole truth. Reinsler only knew that Artemis was recovering from a previously failing immune system. No need to let him know that Artemis had been resurrected and that technically he had a body underneath the ground on this very estate.

Artemis reached into his pocket, feeling the warm vial of his brother's blood. He twirled it around with his hand, tourniquet in the other.

"Maybe you should see my friend." Reinsler hummed to himself as he started to pick up the other instruments on the table. "He's a psychologist. Specializes in sleep."

Artemis's fingers paused, having an immediate visceral reaction to the word psychologist.

"No thank you." He stated quietly.

It wasn't like he could tell the psychologist the subject of his nightmares. Of the feeling of being dead. Of being reborn. Of making the wrong decision. Of feeling like a living, walking, corpse. His fingers continued their twirling in his pocket before he smoothly palmed the vial of Beckett's blood - still warm - and opened the doctor's bag.

In one smooth motion Artemis appeared to have placed the tourniquet into the bag for the doctor, along with a few other instruments in effort to help clean up. Of course, in the process his fingers picked the vial of his own blood and swapped it with Beckett's.

"Thank you for helping." Reinsler muttered as he took off his stethoscope and put it into the bag.

Artemis picked up the otoscope and handed it to the doctor.

"Of course." He smiled slowly.

The doctor could never tell why that smile unsettled him. Then again, the Fowls were extremely polite. Creepily polite - this one.

Butler moved into the room at that moment, thankfully cutting short any more conversation about a psychologist.

"Lunch is ready, sir."

"Shall we?" Artemis turned to the doctor, gesturing for him to leave first.

.

Butler paused on his way to find Artemis, hearing the soft piano melody drifting down the hallway. So, he was back at the piano. His charge had seemingly spent most of his energy into composing instead of illegal ventures the last four months. At first Butler thought Artemis was focusing all his energy on getting well, but five months later Artemis had completed physical therapy, gained some weight back, and had yet to show interest in criminal ventures. Or even non-criminal ventures at that. Besides helping his mother and father with their philanthropic pursuits he had seemed to have lost interest.

It has only been five months, Butler told himself. He knew that Artemis hadn't fully recovered mentally from his time spent...wherever he had been while he had been dead. Butler softly walked along the old wooden floors. The piano notes dancing and echoing around the manor.

Butler could always tell what kind of mood Artemis was in by what he was playing. Or composing. Lately it has been all Beethoven. The angry deaf depressed Beethoven. Beautiful, but disheartening. He remembered only last week the hauntingly slow march of _Moonlight Sonata_ floating along this hallway and the chill that it had given him down his spine. Artemis seemed to drag the song out as if it physically hurt, each note lingering for even longer than Butler thought Beethoven had intended. Normally the boy's demeanor was carefully hidden. Most people thought Artemis Fowl II was incapable of tenderness and compassion, especially when he had been younger. All you had to do was listen to one of his compositions or listen to him play to know that wasn't the case.

Tonight Butler gave a soft smile, recognizing the song. Not Beethoven tonight. It seemed Artemis was in a better mood. The beginnings of _Clair de Lune_ drifted along lazily.

Artemis had already been an amazing player. He had only grown into a unbelievable pianist in the past five months, the fruits of putting almost all his attention onto learning the instrument. What took professionals years to master he had accomplished in months.

Butler moved softly into the room as he listened. Artemis's back was to him at the grand piano and Butler didn't have to see his face to know that his eyes were closed. There was no sheet music on the piano- he always played by memory. The young man's body was slumped slightly, relaxed into the keys. It was a strange sight to see him not in his usual stiff aristocratic posture.

As the song began to reach its climax his fingers sped along. He frowned softly and his brow furrowed in concentration - an expression of focus and determination that Butler missed. Butler felt the longing and almost romance in Artemis's playing, swallowing softly.

As Artemis moved into the climax there was a soft movement by the door. Butler turned to see Angeline Fowl, who was smiling softly and put a finger up to her lips before her eyes closed gently as she listened. The song had drawn her in like a magnet. Understandable. When Artemis played he held nothing back, the climax of the song was loud and confident, drifting throughout the whole manor.

Angeline placed her hand on her heart and, feeling the song nearing its end and not wanting to let Artemis know she had been spying, she turned silently and left down the hallway.

The last note sung out softly and Artemis didn't move for a whole minute, fingers still poised over the keys of the piano. The note faded, ringing, until silence enveloped it. Still, Artemis did not move.

Butler, still by the door, bit his lip - not sure if he should make his presence known or to shut up and allow Artemis to remain within the song.

Right on cue, Artemis seemed to awaken from a stupor, straightening his spine back up and removing his hands from the piano.

"Debussy." He stated softly to Butler. Butler said nothing for a moment, feeling a little embarrassed to be caught listening in and wondering how Artemis had known he had been there all along.

"Your presence is unmissable." Artemis continued as if reading his mind, "I could feel your ears behind me around two minutes into the song."

"Sorry."

Artemis turned to face him on the piano bench.

"I enjoy an audience." He murmured softly, "And your company."

"Are you ready to go?"

Artemis's eyes flicked over to the window, seeing the full moon shining outside. It was just past twilight, almost time for their monthly rendezvous.

"Yes - let's go say hello to our fairy friend."

.

Holly Short stared up at the same moon Artemis Fowl had stared up at only an hour previous. She wrapped her fingers around an acorn softly, completing the ritual underneath the ancient oak like she did every month. As her magic rushed back into her she closed her eyes and breathed in the fresh air. Ever since both the fairy and the human world had been thrown into chaos after Opal Koboi's last stunt humans and fairies had started to merge. It was less imperative to be shielded while above ground. If anything Opal's last plan had backfired on her - the human and fairy worlds were colliding. Not without its rough patches to be sure, but Holly felt optimistic that the outcome would be a better - more free - world.

She leaned back against the tree, running her hands along the bark, lost in thought for a long moment.

"You really should be more careful. Who knows when some terrible Mud Boy might kidnap you." An amused voice intoned from behind Holly.

She jumped and spun, seeing a familiar stiff and slender form in the darkness emerge from around the brush.

"Shit, Artemis." She breathed, placing her heart on her hand, "Must you terrify me every month?"

"I look forward to it." His voice smooth and poetic as he moved to stand next to her on the bluff. "I would have thought you would have anticipated it by now." He chided, letting out a soft chuckle.

"I never know _when_ you're going to pop up." Holly grumped, sitting down in the grass underneath the tree. Artemis paused for a long moment, not replying, but looking up into the night sky at the full moon and the stars. There was a sad reflection on his face, Holly noted, before her human friend followed her lead and sat next to her - as was their tradition.

Holly could see Butler's shape, hanging back near the off road vehicle to give the two some privacy.

"How have you been, Artemis?" Holly glanced over at him.

"My doctor tells me I am doing fine." Artemis replied, not looking at her, "Butler seems pleased with my BMI."

Holly rolled her eyes. What an answer, she thought, but she didn't press the subject. He was alive - and that was all that mattered. Right?

He seemed pale, although he always looked that way. The moonlight was doing nothing to make him appear less bleached either. Artemis had to have been made for the moon. His skin glowed in it. And unlike the sun he seemed to actually enjoy basking in it. Holly knew that vampires didn't exist, but if they did Artemis had all the mannerisms to be one of them. His spirit felt old, she noted. Not that it hadn't before. I mean, what twelve year old ate caviar, wore Armani, and spoke like he was from the nineteen hundreds? But this was a different kind of old. Artemis's spirit felt ancient in an exhausted way. Like the dust left behind after someone hasn't visited their room for months.

"You haven't been sleeping."

"The world has a lot of fixing that needs to be done. I have been working with my mother to introduce cleaner and more efficient energy supplies. My father and I have spearheaded Fowl Industries - fully legitimate. Speaking of which - how is Haven?"

Holly ignored the sly change of subject.

"Still a mess, but getting better."

"We'll get there." He stated softly, "The world will be remade - better than before."

Haven was rebuilding. After the death of Opal Koboi and the Berserker incident Foaly had made a fortune off of his usable equipment. The Council had reassessed their dependency on one technology manufacturer and there were already a rush of start ups bustling to fill Koboi's void.

Holly herself had been promoted, much to her dismay. It had meant more paperwork, less stings. However, after all the excitement in the past five years she was okay with _some_ boredom. For now at least.

Holly looked over at the Mud Boy. Not a boy anymore, however. Artemis had grown, even in the past five months. He had lost all baby fat. His face was thinner; his cheekbones were more pronounced. He was very handsome, for human standards. For some reason realizing this made Holly blush. He was attractive. And his gaze was piercing. Intense. If she hadn't known Artemis for as long as she did he would intimidate her.

Holly herself had changed - not nearly as much as Artemis, but in small minute ways. She was happy - truly happy. Despite being constantly exhausted from work and the lifestyle that came with a crippled world without Opal Koboi technology she was excited for the future. Excited to have Artemis a part of that future again.

His death- it had hurt more than she cared to admit. For the whirlwind of months after the incident at Fowl Manor she had been forced to come to terms with what exactly Artemis had been to her. It had come to no big surprise that she had harbored feelings - feelings more than friendship. She hadn't even known how much she cared for him until he had been giving her that infuriating apologetic smile, and then within a half second it had been wiped away and she had watched him crumple, nearly whacking onto the cold unforgiving ground like a marionette had Butler not snagged him out of the air.

They had already talked about this, after she had kissed him when they had traveled back to the past. Artemis danced easily around telling Holly his own feelings. She wasn't too hard pressed to find out the answer. _In another time._

There was a long comfortable silence as they both turned their attention up to the billions of galaxies spinning dizzily above them.

"You know - you're face is on a bestseller in Haven." Holly spoke up after about five minutes. She felt a teasing smile pull at her lips, "You're practically famous now."

"As opposed to infamous?"

"Of course." Holly grinned.

Most of the People knew of Artemis Fowl's role in the whole affair, although much of the facts and been misconstrued. He had come out as less of a hero - for which Holly was certain Artemis would be content with. But the story had captured the fascination of the general public to the point where he was considered semi-famous. And while he always had been famous for being a criminal that had nearly robbed the People of everything - his image now was one of tortured genius. This depiction of Artemis was probably because of _Conflicting Minds: Artemis Fowl's Struggle with Atlantis_.

Dr. Argon had seized the prime opportunity post Opal Koboi incident to print the book on Artemis's Atlantis Complex, which had only acerbated the public's obsession. Lining the fronts of book stores in Haven was Artemis's piercing blue eyes.

"What an imaginative title." Artemis sighed sarcastically, more than a little mortified at the idea of the book, "So much for doctor-patient confidentiality."

"I'll have to get you a copy."

"No thank you."

Holly laughed at Artemis's expression. It was like he had just simultaneously sniffed and sucked a lemon. The Mud Boy - man - really had a knack for showing disdain.

"Have you read it?" Artemis asked suddenly, his eyes darting away from the moon and into Holly's.

"No." Holly's smile faded as she detected the seriousness in Artemis's tone. Of course, she had been there while he had been afflicted with the syndrome. She didn't really need to read the book to understand how Artemis had been effected.

Artemis's gaze drifted back up to the sky, and he nodded, satisfied with her answer.

Holly sighed softly to herself. She forgot sometimes how hard Artemis had been on himself for that whole episode. If there was one thing above all else that Artemis valued, it was his own mind. He had been completely embarrassed by his time spent in Dr. Argon's clinic and afterwards only spoke briefly of the months he had stayed in Haven - as if it had been a dream - that it hadn't actually happened.

Although, the complex had made them closer than ever before. Holly had checked in on him throughout, and had seen him at some of his worst. Seeing Artemis as truly human had broken down the wall that had always existed between them. Artemis loved to build icy walls to block out everyone. He loved to be mysterious. To be seen as cold, and calculating. But in the clinic he had been raw, uncontrolled, and - real. What Artemis had seen as his own weakness Holly had seen as his strength.

She had... grown to care for him. She had grown even protective over him.

She turned to look at him again, and, as if sensing her attention he turned to look at her.

He grinned after a moment, a real grin. Holly had learned to tell the difference.

"Its funny." He said softly after a moment, reaching out to her. Holly felt her breath stop as he touched right underneath her eye, resting softly on her cheek. It wasn't an embrace so much, she told herself. It wasn't like he was stroking her cheek.

"What's funny?"

"That you still have something of mine."

He tapped her cheek softly as if to make a point. No doubt he was talking about the one blue eye.

"Crazily enough, I miss my hazel eye."

Holly didn't say anything for a long moment, feeling as Artemis's fingertip rested again on her cheek and moved to cup it. It was only then that Holly wondered if he felt something other than friendship towards her, if he noticed how close they were. They weren't touching - besides his thumb on her cheek, but the tension was there.

Holly's eyes darted to his lips-

"Sorry, sir. It's getting late."

Artemis leaned back, letting go of her cheek. They both looked up at Butler who was standing a few feet from them. Holly felt her cheeks burn, spell broken. She was glad that she had been interrupted. Despite whatever _that_ was, Holly knew that instigating anything further was a bad idea. She felt like a teenager getting caught in the act by a parent. They hadn't even done anything! They weren't going to do anything! Holly wasn't even certain if Artemis thought of them like that. And even if he did they lived in two different worlds. They were two different species. The age difference alone...

She shook her head softly to herself. Goddammit.

"Goodnight, Holly." Artemis stated softly, pulling himself up off the grass and dusting off his jacket and pants, "Next month?"

"Of course. Next month. Same place. Don't scare me this time."

"No promises."

She watched as he faded into the darkness.

Butler cleared his throat and it was only then that she realized he hadn't immediately followed his employer.

"We need to talk." He stated seriously.

Holly swallowed.


End file.
